Determined to Serve Christ

Vicki Hight gave her heart to Jesus at the young age of six, and publicly made this confession in Christian baptism when she was eight.  A teenage girl in her church helped her become a church soloist – also, at the early age of six.  She loved to attend church, and that’s where you’d find her most every time the doors were open.  Vicki also became involved in all available youth activities:  Sunday School; Vacation Bible School; Youth Meetings; Youth Rallies; and Summer Youth Camp.  She loved the challenge of Bible games, Bible drills, and memorizing scripture to the point where she could quote the books of the Bible both frontward and backward.  

She married a young Christian man when she turned 18, and together they soon began serving God as high school youth leaders.  Soon afterward, she also accepted the position of church secretary and worked until shortly before the birth of her first daughter, Cheri.  Seventeen months later, Scott was born, and Stacey came along right after Cheri turned three.  Needless to say, motherhood began consuming most of her time, but it was still a very high priority for the family not only to attend church, but also to be involved in church. During these early years of motherhood, Vicki worked in the Nursery, helped with Vacation Bible School, and became an assistant leader and teacher for JAM (Jesus and Me) – a midweek children’s youth program.

Life isn’t always easy, or fair, and at the age of 31, Vicki was stricken with Gillian Barré, a sister disease to MS.  During the three months it took the doctors to diagnose this devastating illness, her health deteriorated daily until she was completely confined to bed and a wheelchair, totally dependent on someone else to take care of her needs as well as her family.  Not knowing if she would live, or die, or live the rest of her life as a helpless invalid, she began seeking God and evaluating her life.  Vicki realized that even though she was a faithful Christian and still active in the church, her personal relationship with Jesus just wasn’t what it used to be. 

One night in agonizing pain and desperation, her heart cried out to God in a prayer of determination and commitment.  She told God that she was going to serve him, and she was going to be happy as long as she lived – no matter what, but she also asked Him to please not let her health get any worse.  Waking up the next morning, she stared down at her paralyzed feet and realized that she could wiggle her big toe, something she hadn’t been able to do in a long time.  Hope began to soar within her.  She knew God had heard, and answered, her prayer, and that he was not just keeping her from getting worse, but He was healing her.  The following day, a scheduled appointment with a neurologist diagnosed her condition as Gillian Barré syndrome, and she was hospitalized for further tests and treatment.  God did what the doctors couldn’t do – reverse the disease – and then He used the doctors’ treatment and therapy to restore her health.

Vicki’s relationship with Jesus was renewed during this trying time.  God reassured her that He was with her and that He had a plan to use her to help other people.  However, two weeks after she was released from the hospital, while still recuperating, her husband announced he wanted a divorce. He was in love with another woman, whom he wanted to marry.  She thought her life was over.  Divorce had never even been a remote possibility to her – she had gotten married with the idea of “till death do we part.”  Emotionally, she went from fighting and praying for her life, to begging and pleading with God to please let her die.  She was completely distraught, without hope or a purpose, yet God never left her.  Instead, he placed particular people in her life to help bring her through this tragic devastation.

Months after the divorce, while still dealing with rejection and loneliness, she reluctantly agreed to attend a Christian singles’ activity in a church of a different denomination. There she was casually introduced to Bill Campbell, who was leading worship that night and giving the devotional.  After the last game of volleyball had ended, he approached her and asked if she would join his Nursing Home ministry as the female singer.  In shocked confusion, she just gazed at him and said, “But you’ve never even heard me sing.”  To this, Bill instantly and confidently responded, “God doesn’t send me junk!”  (God knows how to mend rejection.)   After praying for a few days, God showed Vicki that He was doing this, and reminded her of a recent prayer when she told God she would sing for Him if He opened the doors – and this was the door He had opened.  She knew instantly that this had been a divine appointment.  It wasn’t long before they were married, working together in a Nursing Home Ministry, doing over 300 services in more than 80 different Nursing Homes across Indiana.  Two years after their marriage, the company Bill worked for went out of business, and they relocated to Northern Kentucky. 

These were years of transition, change, trials, and more trials that God used for Christian maturity and growth.  Eventually, God opened new windows of opportunity for ministry.  For many years they worked together in a shut-in ministry.  They also led and participated in many home prayer meetings allowing the gifts of the spirit to work through them.  Together, they organized a Nursing Home Ministry at their church.  For over seven years, Vicki helped Bill with a weekly prayer meeting at the church, which specialized in personalized prayer and ministry for those who attended.  She also accompanied Bill on a mission’s trip to Venezuela.

Vicki worked for 3 ½ years in the church office as Office Supervisor.  While on staff, she led morning devotions for the office personnel several times a week.  She facilitated an interactive 13-session workshop on Crisis Care at church.  She led a women’s home Bible Study group.  She was a co-leader in a singles ministry for singles over 30.  For over a year, she sang on a local Christian cable program.  She has been part of the praise and worship team at church, and sings as a soloist whenever and wherever there is an opportunity.  She occasionally teaches and ministers one-on-one as the Lord leads.  She works alongside of her husband, Bill, in Faith in Motion Ministries where she holds the position of Secretary/Treasurer.  She writes the monthly newsletter, as well as helping in many other areas of ministry.

Vicki knows that God has a call on her life, and she can’t be content to be an “average” Christian.  She desires for God to use her to her fullest, and realizes that God saved her for a purpose.  She plans to make a difference in God’s kingdom during her lifetime.